Bilge pump



Nov. 6, 1962 R. c. HUFF, SR 3,062,152

BILGE PUMP Filed Aug. 29, 1960 INVENTOR Raise/l C. Huff. 5,.

ATTORNEY United States Patent G 3,062,152 BILGE PUMP Russell C. Huff, Sr., Box 205, Port Richey, Fla. Filed Aug. 29, 1960, Ser. No. 52,698 6 Claims. (Cl. 103-148) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in hand operated bilge pumps for bailing water accumulated in small boats, or the like, and in particular the invention concerns itself with a bilge pump of this type having a flexibly expansible and collapsible dome-like member or bulb together with inlet and outlet check valve means so that during alternate expansion and collapsing of the dome-like member water may be caused to enter and be expelled from the same.

An important object of the invention is to provide a bilge pump of this nature which is very simple in construction, economical to manufacture and which does not utilize any metal moving parts such as would be subject to corrosion when the pump is used with salt water.

Another important object of the invention is to provide, in a pump of this type, an elongated, hollow han dle whereby the dome-like member may be collapsed and expanded, which handle also functions as a water outlet and is equipped with a laterally directed discharge nozzle capable of delivering the pumped water over the side of a boat without the use of a delivery hose.

With the foregoing more important objects and features in view and such other objects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention will be understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference are used to designate like parts, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical sectional view of a bilge pump in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an underside plan view thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view, in fragmentary form, of a modified embodiment of the invention; and

FIGURE 4 is an underside plan view of the embodiment shown in FIGURE 3.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, more particularly to FIGURES 1 and 2, the bilge pump in accordance with the invention is designated generally by the reference numeral and embodies in its construction a resiliently flexible, expansible and collapsible dome-like member or bulb 11 having a flat base 12 adapted to rest on a suitable supporting surface 13. The member 11 and its base 12 are preferably formed from rubber, or the like, and are secured together by being suitably bonded at their contacting marginal edges 14.

The base 12 is provided with a plurality of water inlet openings 15 and with a set of depending lugs 16 which engage the supporting surface 13 and thereby maintain the base 12 at an elevation above the surface 13 so that water accumulated on the surface 13 may enter the interior of the member 11 through the openings 15. Inlet check valve means are provided in conjunction with the openings 15, such means comprising a resiliently flexible disc 16 of rubber, or the like, which is superposed on the base 12 and is secured thereto by a suitable fastening element 17 at the center thereof, it being understood that the disc 16 is normally flat and covers the openings 15, but is deflected as indicated at 16a during expansion of the member 11 to permit flow of water into the member through the openings.

The member 11 is provided integrally at the top thereof with a hollow neck .18 which slidably receives therein the lower end of an elongated, hollow handle 19, extending upwardly from the neck. The upper end of the handle 19 is equipped with a laterally directed discharge nozzle 20 terminating in a restricted orifice 21 which functions to discharge a stream of water laterally over the side of a boat when the handle 19 is pressed downwardly to collapse the member 11. In this connection it is to be noted that such discharge of water through the nozzle may be effected without the use of any delivery hoses, or the like, and it will be also noted that the nozzle 20 additionally serves as a convenient hand grip for manipulating the handle 19.

Outlet check valve means are provided in the handle 19 adjacent the neck 18, that is, in the lower end portion of the handle, such check valve means including a valve ball 22 of non-corrosive material such as glass, or the like, cooperating with a seat formed by a washer 23 which is secured to the lower end of the handle 19. A transverse pin 24 is provided in the handle 19 above the ball 22 to prevent the latter from moving too far upwardly, and it will be observed that the diameter of the washer 23 is greater than that of the handle, so that it projects outwardly beyond the periphery of the handle and is seated in an internal annular groove 25 formed in the neck 18. In this manner the handle 19 is separably attached to the neck of the member 11 and may be detached therefrom for purposes of convenient storage or transportation of the pump, by simply withdrawing the handle from the neck. When this is done, the washer 23 remains attached to the handle and retains the valve ball 22 captive therein.

A modified embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, wherein the neck 18 of the member 11 accommodates one arm 26 of a T coupling 27, the latter also including a second arm 28 which extends coaxially upwardly from the first arm 26, and a third, laterally projecting arm 29. In this instance the base 12a of the member 11 is imperforate, but is provided at the underside thereof with a plurality of concentric, annular ribs 30 to rest on the supporting surface 13.

The arm 26 of the coupling 27 has secured thereto a washer 31 seated in the groove 25 of the neck 18 as in the embodiment of FIGURES l and 2, whereby the coupling 27, together with the handle 19a carried thereby, are separably and removably attached to the member 11. The second arm 28 of the coupling 27 is pr vided with an inturned flange 32 which forms a seat for the outlet valve ball 22, the operation of the outlet valve being the same as in the embodiment already described. The handle 19a is connected to the arm 28 of the coupling 27 as indicated at 33.

The third arm 29 of the coupling 27 contains an inlet valve ball 34 which is movable between a transverse stop pin 35 and a seat 36 formed by a constricted portion of the arm 29, and a nipple 37 is provided on the arm 29 for connection of a suitable flexible hose 38 thereto. The hose 38 may be extended to poorly accessible locations from which water is to be pumped, and upon compression or collapsing of the member 11, water will be forced out of the same through the check valve 32, 22 and handle 19a. Conversely, when the member 11 is expanded, water will be drawn through the hose 38 and check valve 36, 37 into the member 11 for subsequent expulsion therefrom.

In both embodiments of the invention an annular shoulder 39 is provided on the handle 19 in the embodiment of FIGURE 1, or on the coupling 27 in the embodiment of FIGURE 3, such a shoulder being in abutment with the upper edge of the neck 18 so as to exert downward pressure on the member 11 for collapsing the same when the handle is pressed downwardly.

While in the foregoing there have been described and shown the preferred embodiments of the invention, various modifications may become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Accordingly, it is not desired to limit the invention to this disclosure and various modifications may be resorted to, such as may lie Within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A bilge pump having an inlet check valve and an outlet check valve, said pump comprising two separable parts, one part comprising a flexible, expansible and collapsible dome-like pump member having a tubular neck portion extending upwardly therefrom and having an internal groove spaced downwardly within the neck portion from the top thereof; and the other part comprising a removable tubular handle member having a nozzle portion at one end thereof and an outwardly projecting flange portion adjacent the other end for detachable engageinent with the internal groove in the neck of said collapsible pump member, said handle member permanently carrying said outlet check valve and having means for limiting the movement thereof in either direction, and means for retaining said inlet valve in one of said separable parts, whereby said par-ts may be separated without loss of either check valve.

2. In a bilge pump, the combination of a flexibly expansible and collapsible dome-like member having an outlet neck provided with an internal annular groove, a tubular handle having one end portion thereof removably positioned in said outlet neck, a flat washer secured to said one end of said handle and having a central opening smaller than the inside diameter of the handle, said opening constituting a valve port, the'outside diameter of the washer being greater than that of the handle whereby the outer marginal edge portion of the washer provides an annular shoulder on the handle, said shoulder being removably seated in the groove of said neck, and a valve ball movably positioned in said handle and engageable with said port, said valve ball being retained in said handle by said washer.

3. In a bilge pump, the combination of a flexibly expansible and collapsible dome-like member having a base adapted to rest on a supporting surface, inlet check valve means provided in said base for admitting liquid into said member during expansion thereof, an outlet neck provided integrally on top of said member, an elongated hollow handle connected to and extending upwardly from said neck for expanding and collapsing said member, a laterally directed discharge nozzle provided at the upper 'end of said handle, outlet check valve means provided in the handle adjacent said neck, said handle being slidably received in said neck, said neck being provided with an internal annular groove, an annular shoulder provided on said handle and removably seated in said groove whereby to removably connect said handle to said member, and a flat washer secured to the end of said handle in said neck, said washer having a central opening smaller than the inside of the handle and constituting a valve port, and the outside diameter of the Washer beingtgreater than that of the handle whereby an outer marginal edge portion of the washer projects from the handle and constitutes said annular shoulder seated in said groove, said outlet check valve means including a movable valve ele ment disposed in said handle and engageable with said seat, said valve element being retained in the handle by said washer.

4. In a bilge pump, the combination of a flexibly expansible and collapsible dome-like member having an outlet neck provided with an internal annular groove, a tubular handle having one end portion thereof removably positioned in said outlet neck, a flat washer secured to said one end of said handle and having a central opening smaller than the inside diameter of the handle, said opening constituting a valve port, the outside diameter of the washer being greater than that of the handle whereby the outer marginal edge portion of the washer provides an annular shoulder on the handle, said shoulder being removably-seated in the groove of said neck, a transverse keeper pin provided in said handle in spaced relation from said washer, and a valve ball movably disposed in the handle between said washer and said pin, said ball being engageable with said valve port.

5. A bilge pump as set forth in claim 1 wherein the inlet valve is carried by the pump member.

6. A bilge pump as set forth in claim 1 wherein the inlet valve is carried by the handle member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 788,683 Strasburger May 2, 1905 930,236 Schacht Aug. 3, 1909 1,836,202 Teigeler Dec. 15, 1931 1,861,899 Beach June 7, 1932 2,083,058 De Weal June 8, 1937 2,368,091 Andersen Jan. 30, 1945 2,476,545 Hayward July 19, 1949 2,702,147 Brown Feb. 15, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,129,718 France Sept. 10, 1956 

